While the rest of his teammates struggled to score early, Atkins almost single-handily kept the Irish afloat, scoring 11 of Notre Dame’s first 15 points.

The crowd — led by several members of the Notre Dame football team — was electric from Atkins’ 3-pointer on, rattling the young Kentucky squad.

Notre Dame led 36-25 at the half before embarking on a 10-0 scoring run midway through the second half, leading by as many as 20 points.

Atkins led the Irish with 16 points (7-of-11 from the field), while Jerian Grant and Jack Cooley pitched in 13 points apiece. Freshman Cameron Biedscheid finished 4-of-6 for 10 points, including two 3-pointers.